130] | 
Feb. 13th, ra ee a 
1790." embly fuppreiied a 
monaitic eftablifhments 
for ever, and confifcated all their 
lands; allowing, however, the pre- 
4ent friars and nuns ‘to continue in 
the obfervance of their monaftic 
vows; granting them fome mode- 
rate ftipends for maintenance; and 
to the nuns, the fpecial favour and 
privilege, (which was indeed an act 
ef great humanity, independent of 
its juftice) that they fhould not be 
removed from the convents in which 
they then refided, without their own 
eonfent and free choice. 
\ As the bufinefs of the clergy was 
now brought nearly to a conclufion, 
at leaft with refpect to fact, though 
not entirely as to time, we fhall pur- 
fue it to the end, leaving thofe in- 
termediate matters which occurred 
in its courfe fubject to further eb- 
fervation. In the fucceeding month 
ef April, the aflembly completed 
their plan. They voted away, in 
purfuance of their prior refolution 
of November, all the territorial pol- 
feflions of the church, defining 
them in general, but not {pecific 
terms, to the payment of the public 
debt. They affigned to the church- 
men, in return, certain fixed pen- 
fions, which though much finalier 
than their former revenues, were, 
perhaps, barely fufficient for their 
exiftence ; although nat in any de- 
gree fuitable to their patt habits, 
condition, or modes of living; many 
of them heing neceflarily of the firtt 
families in the kingdom,and long ufed 
to {plendour, refpeét, and opulence, 
The afiembly likewife, at this time, 
began to iffue to the creditors of the 
ftate a new kind ¢f paper money 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
179°. 
under the name of affignations, that 
is aflignats, on the church lands thus 
confileated, which were to be the 
general fecurity for all the paper 
thus iffyed. From hence originated, 
that inundation of aflignats which 
have fince deluged France and the 
neighbouring countries ; and which 
have excited the aftonifhment of 
Europe, through the extraordinary 
exertions which they have enabled 
her to make. 
It was a curious circumftance that 
Mirabeau, who had fo lately pub- 
lifhed a fevere Philippic againft the 
emperor Jofeph for the injuftice of 
his claim on the Scheldt, and in 
which he particularly reprobated his — 
conduc with refpect to the plunder 
of the monafteries and convents in 
the Low Countries,;fhould now, in 
fo fhort a period of time, have fo 
totally departed from the fentiments 
which he then avowed, that through 
the whole progrefs of the. prefent. 
bufinef., he was, on every occafion, 
the Itrongeft and moft determined 
leader in, or fupporter of all the vio- 
lent proceedings carried on againft 
the French clergy. The following 
fentence, addrefied to the emperor, 
in. the treatife we have mentioned, 
will ferve to illuftrate this conduét as 
well as to jultify the obfervation : 
« Defpile the monks as muchas you 
pleafe, but do not rob them; for it 
is unlawful te rob either the moft 
determined atheift or the moft ¢cre- 
dulous capuchin friar”? So much® — 
.do inen’s {zntiments vary with cif- | 
cumftances, even in queitions of 
Tight or wrong, of juftice or injufs — 
ich it might bes 
tice! qucttions,. 
fuppoted did netadmit ofany change ~ 
of opinion, - a 
<a 
7 
CHAP,” 
Af 
1! 
